List of Masters of the Universe characters

The Masters of the Universe franchise debuted in 1982, the creation of American company Mattel. The MOTU characters have appeared in a wide variety of different forms, including toys, animation, film, comics, books, videogames and spin-offs.

Heroic Warriors

Vintage toyline characters (1982–88)

All of these characters were released in the vintage Mattel toyline.

He-Man / Prince Adam

He-Man is "the most powerful man in the universe" and in most media he is the alter-ego of Prince Adam. He is armed with a power harness that enhances his strength, the Sword of Power, a battle axe, and a shield. Early media, such as the minicomics packaged with the original run of action figures, also depicts him carrying a knife. He-Man possesses superhuman strength and is capable of performing incredible feats, such as lifting heavy objects such as boulders and buildings, breaking solid rock with his fists, as well as having the advantage over just about any opponent. He is a formidable warrior, although he usually prefers to avoid conflict. He is a strong upholder of moral justice and is regarded by the people of Eternia as their greatest hero. In the original minicomics He-Man was a wandering barbarian hailing from a jungle tribe, but both the DC comics and the cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe portrayed him as the alter ego of the young Prince Adam, heir-apparent to the throne of Eternia, and most media since have followed suit. Prince Adam is the son of King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternia, and is viewed by many as fun-loving, lazy and cowardly. This is merely an act to keep people from suspecting that he is also He-Man. The 2002 cartoon revealed that Adam was carefree and reckless in his younger days, before he accepted his destiny. Prince Adam was given the Sword of Power by The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, and when he lifts the sword and says "By the Power of Grayskull... I Have the Power!" he is magically transformed into He-Man, defender of Eternia. Man-At-Arms, Orko, and the Sorceress are the only characters who share in the knowledge of Adam's secret.

Depending on his transformation to He-Man, at times he is also armed with plate armor, a battle axe, a shield, or deadly snake pinchers. In the 1980s series, Prince Adam and He-Man are almost identically drawn, the difference being that Adam has lighter blonde hair and paler skin, while He-Man has bronzed skin and more golden hair. In the 2002 series, which features a teenaged Prince Adam, he is much shorter and slender than his alter-ego, with blonde eyebrows and pants (versus 1980s Adam's tights). He speaks with a higher tone of voice and often comes across as a clueless adolescent. He-Man, however, has black eyebrows, is much taller, and is far more muscular, as his transformation to He-Man later in the series (starting with "Council of Evil") shows. His voice is deeper, he is wise, and his age in indeterminate (mid 20s to mid 30s in appearance).[1]

Prince Adam and He-Man are voiced in the 1980s series by John Erwin and by Cam Clarke in the 2002 series. In the 1990s series, Prince Adam was voiced by Doug Parker while He-Man is voiced by Garry Chalk. In the 1980s live-action movie, He-Man was portrayed by Dolph Lundgren.

Battle Cat / Cringer

Battle Cat is He-Man's faithful feline companion, a fighting armored tiger who carries him into battle. When He-Man is in the form of Prince Adam, Battle Cat is Cringer, the royal pet. Both Cringer and Battle Cat are green with orange stripes, but Battle Cat is much larger and more muscular. In the 1980s series, Cringer speaks and is afraid of just about everything, hence the name.

In the 2002 series, Cringer occasionally meows like a kitten, but also shows bravery from time to time, including rescuing Prince Adam from falling to his death in Snake Mountain ("Council of Evil"). Battle Cat's rescue of Queen Marlena ("Of Machines and Men"), based on knowledge only Cringer would have, causes Marlena to wonder about Battle Cat's identity.

Cringer and Battle Cat are voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series.

Man-At-Arms

Man-At-Arms is He-Man's closest ally, originally packaged in the Mattel toy line as the 'Heroic Master of Weapons'. He is Teela's adoptive father and is the inventor of most of the weaponry and vehicles used by the Heroic Warriors. Since Man-At-Arms is actually a title, not a name, the character is also known as Duncan. The original minicomics depicted him as the latest in a long family line of great warriors and inventors, who uses the material resources at his disposal to aid He-Man. The cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Filmation portrayed him as the Man-At-Arms to King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternia, who holds residency at the Royal Palace, where his workshop is based. This portrayal has been adopted by most subsequent versions of the franchise. The cartoon portrayed Man-At-Arms as a mentor to Prince Adam, and as such he was one of the few people aware that Prince Adam and He-Man were one and the same.

The live action movie's portrayal of Man-At-Arms was similar to that of the cartoon, although he seemed to be a seasoned war veteran and possibly the biological father of Teela rather than adopted.

The 2002 cartoon series' portrayal of the character was mostly consistent with that of Filmation. The show also reveals that Man-At-Arms served as one of King Randor's chief supporters back during the Great Unrest, before the Council of Elders informed then-Captain Randor that his destiny was to be King of Eternia. Man-At-Arms designs and builds weapons and other technology for the royal family; he also help trains the Royal Guard, Teela, Prince Adam, and the other Masters of the Universe. In the 2002 series, Man-At-Arms sports a short topknot, and the armor on his left arm transforms into a different built-in weapons and tools. This newer Man-At-Arms is also older, more grizzled, and has more of a military bearing than the original 1980s version.

The original Man-At-Arms action figure comes with a club, but the character was rarely ever seen with it in the cartoon. The figure did not have the moustache seen on the character in the cartoon.

Man-At-Arms was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series and by Garry Chalk in the 2002 series. In the 1980s live action movie, he is portrayed by Jon Cypher.

Teela

Teela is the Captain of the Royal Guard and Man-At-Arms' adopted daughter. The original minicomics depicted Teela as a magical clone of the Sorceress created by Skeletor to do his bidding, but she was rescued from Skeletor by Man-At-Arms, who raised her as his daughter and trained her to serve the side of good. This portrayal of the character was abandoned for the Filmation cartoon series, which portrayed her as the biological daughter of the Sorceress and an unnamed and apparently deceased father, although she was unaware of her true heritage. The episode "Teela's Quest" revealed that Man-At-Arms had raised her from infancy at the Sorceress' behest. Teela is very outspoken and opinionated, at times disregarding direct orders from her father and being left to deal with the consequences for her disobedience (for instance, one punishment was to peel a seemingly endless amount of potatoes). One of her duties is to teach combat skills to Prince Adam. She frequently berates him for his careless and worry-free attitude, but is fond of him nonetheless. She secretly admires He-Man and wishes Prince Adam could be more like him, unaware that the two are one and the same. Episodes such as "Teela's Quest" and "Teela's Triumph" explained that some day Teela will be made aware of the secrets of Grayskull and succeed her mother as the Castle's guardian, although her destiny must be kept secret from her until the right time comes.

The 2002 cartoon series followed much the same portrayal although the character seemed slightly younger, portrayed as an ambitious and headstrong teenager. In several episodes of this series she came much closer to suspecting the dual identity of Prince Adam and He-Man than she ever did in the 1980s series.

The 2008-2015 toyline Masters of the Universe Classics has a storyline that combines elements of previous canons with new material, creating a new continuity. This version of Teela is a clone of the Sorceress (as in the early minicomics), is depicted with both red and blonde hair, and would one day take over from her mother as the new Sorceress. Years later, she became the wife of King He-Man and they had a son- the second He-Ro, Dare.

In the 2013-2014 ongoing DC Comics series, Teela is betrothed to Adam, unbeknownst to her and Adam. Later during a battle through Subternia to bring back her mother, the deceased Sorceress of Grayskull, Teela overshoots a jump intended to take out King Hiss and is engulfed in a mystical flame. Dead to her friends for mere seconds, she is reborn as the new Sorceress of Grayskull.

Teela was voiced in the 1980s series by Linda Gary and by Lisa Ann Beley in the 2002 series. In the 1980s live-action film, Teela is portrayed by Chelsea Field.

Stratos

Stratos is one of the Heroic Warriors.[2] He has the power of flight and energy projection, and is the leader of a race of birdpeople who inhabit the airborne city of Avion, high in the Mystic Mountains. He appeared regularly in early episodes of the 1980s cartoon series by Filmation, and the season 2 episode "Betrayal of Stratos" explained that Stratos and his people gained their power of flight from the Egg of Avion, a sacred relic of his kingdom.

The 2002 cartoon series by Mike Young Productions portrayed Stratos as a long-serving member of the Masters and seemingly one of the older members of their ranks. Stratos and his race featured prominently in the episode "Sky War" which revealed that Avion has had clashes with the people of Andreenos (the bee people) but, thanks to Stratos and the Andreenid captain Buzz-off working together as Masters of the Universe, there is now peace between the two peoples.

No origin was ever given for Stratos in either of the two cartoons, but a comic produced by MV Creations to accompany the 2002 series revealed that his entire race was flightless until a magical staff gave them wings and the power of flight. The people of Avion use rocket packs for increased speed and navigation. During battle, they also carry rocket launchers and bombs. In the 1980s series, Stratos sported just a few feathers on his arms and flew Superman style, with his arms straight ahead. In the 2002 series, Stratos was redrawn to have full wings and a little more heft to his frame.

Stratos is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Scott McNeil (who gave Stratos an accented inflection that seems to blend Sean Connery with Patrick Stewart) in the 2002 series.

Zodac

Zodac (sometimes spelled Zodak) is a Cosmic Enforcer. Much confusion has arisen over the character's true allegiance due to conflicting portrayals in different media.[3] The original 1980s toy line packaged Zodac as a 'Cosmic Enforcer' although he was marketed as a villain. However, the DC Comics and the Filmation cartoon series indicated that the character strives to maintain a neutral standpoint, helping both good and evil sides in their times of need while leaning more towards the cause of justice. He appeared in three episodes of the Filmation cartoon series, most prominently in "The Search" in which he was seen to put He-Man to the test of retrieving the mystical object known as the Starseed, which could give its holder power over the whole universe. A twist at the end of the episode revealed that Zodac had also informed Skeletor about the Starseed, so that He-Man would be given the chance to retrieve it from him and be tested to find out whether he could overcome the lust for power.

Several other media in the 1980s, such as the UK Ladybird books, pictured Zodac as a thoroughly evil character, a generic member of Skeletor's henchmen.

In the cartoon, he did not have the chest hair the figure had, nor did he have the action figure's gun. Also, the figure had clawed hands and feet, while the cartoon version wore gloves.

The 2002 cartoon series gave a radically different portrayal of the character. Again he was not officially allied with either the heroic or evil forces, but rather than being a universal mediator between both sides he was portrayed as an ancient and mystical warrior who followed his own sense of right and wrong, without much regard for others. He was introduced in the season 1 episode "Snake Pit" as a warrior who had helped defeat the Snake Men in ancient times and held a centuries-long grudge against King Hiss after the latter killed his brother. In season 2, he was called upon to stop the Snake Men after they were unleashed on present-day Eternia, but in a shock twist it was revealed it was Zodac himself who allowed the Snake Men to be freed, purely so he could exact his own revenge on King Hiss. Although the character's sense of morality was highly questionable in this series, he ended up being treated as the ultimate hero of the season, defeating King Hiss all by himself in the series' penultimate episode "Awaken the Serpent". The character was packaged as 'Zodak' in the contemporary toy line and his appearance was significantly altered- for reasons of racial diversity he was black-skinned rather than Caucasian, and had a somewhat tribal appearance, with white tribal markings on his arms. He wielded a staff, unlike the original Zodac who carried a laser gun.

Due to the radical difference between the 2002 version of Zodac and his 1980s counterpart, the current Masters of the Universe Classics adult collector's toy line has split him into two separate characters. The first of these is 'Zodac' (real name Zodac Zur) who is the Cosmic Enforcer as in the 1980s media, while the second is 'Zodak' (real name Kar-Tor), a student of the former who took his name and appearance and dedicated himself to fighting the Snake Men.

In the 2013 ongoing series from DC Comics, Zodac was given a new and completely different backstory; he is now known as Cosmic Enforcer 097-427-09, Second Platoon out of Overkill Battalion 657, but he's also the half-brother of Hordak and the son of Horde Prime. He is killed and his body absorbed by Hordak one million years before the birth of Adam of the House of Miro.

Zodac was voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1983 series and by Christopher Judge in the 2002 series.

Man-E-Faces

Man-E-Faces is a multi-faced Heroic Warrior, with the ability to change his faces from a human face to a monster face to a robot face.[4] His physical abilities mirror the face he wears.[5] Man-E-Faces, at times called "Manny" by his fellow Masters, had a prodigious career as an actor prior to his transformation. He is also a master of disguise.[6] His strongest persona, Man-E-Monster, is also his weakest, because as a monster he can be controlled by Beast Man. He enjoys playing the Eternian version of chess; Man-At-Arms built Roboto originally to serve as a gaming partner for Man-E-Robot. The figure came with the gun but it was not used in the cartoon.[7]

Man-E-Faces is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Paul Dobson in the 2002 series.

Ram Man

Ram Man is a stocky warrior with poor verbal skills whose chief method of attack/defense involves using his head as a battering ram (hence the name).[8] He is afraid of the dark, and is unswervingly loyal to the people of Eternia, at times questioning the loyalty of newer Heroic Warriors such as Buzz-Off. However, he is also a bit naive and gullible.[9] His lack of intelligence is often played for humor. The moral in "House of Shokoti, Part I" was considered so obvious that Ram Man delivered a lesson about not trying to imitate his human battering ram practices, noting both his heavy armor and his nature as a fictional character. In the original cartoon series, Ram Man is rather short, whereas in the 2002 series he is very large, one of the tallest heroes. He wears an armored helmet in both series, although in the 2002 series he is shown to remove it at times, displaying his short-cropped blonde hair and metal skull cap. He did not use the action figures axe in the cartoon. Ram Man is voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series and by Scott McNeil in the 2002 series. In 2011, BBC Online reported that performer Jamie Moakes was trying to create "a new commodity, one to replace gold, silver and copper", by buying as many Ram Man figures as possible.[10] Ram Man was voted No.9 in The 10 Most Unfortunate Masters Of The Universe Toys by Io9.[11] Ram Man was voted No.12 in The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features by Topless Robot.[12] Ram Man was voted by Mania.com as the fourth most Crazy Masters of the Universe Figures.[9] CBR voted Ram-Man 14th worst he man toy.[13]

Orko

Orko is a magician from the parallel dimensional world of Trolla. Orko's magical abilities vary, depending on his location. On Eternia, Orko's magic doesn't work properly and his spells frequently backfire with humorous results, while in contrast on his homeworld of Trolla he is a master magician. Orko's attempts at helpfulness often end up causing only more trouble for the Masters and the royal family; however, in the 2002 series, his magic is much more controlled and successful, in several instances saving the day. The newer series attributes Orko's occasional ineptitude to the loss of his magic wand while saving 10-year-old Prince Adam upon arriving in Eternia. In the original series, he also saved young Prince Adam's life upon his arrival in Eternia, although he lost his magical amulet in the process. The reason why Trollan magic does not work well on Eternia was explained in "Dawn of Dragoon," in which Trolla is portrayed as a backwards world, where tree roots extend to the sky and leaves are in the ground, and Prince Adam had to recite his magic spell backwards to become He-Man. Orko moves around by levitating.[14] He was depicted as able to walk, but only on a few occasions in which he was rendered unable to float. Orko's face is concealed by a floppy hat and heavy scarf; according to tradition, members of his people only show their visage to their one true love (in Orko's case, Dree-Elle). He-Man describes Trollan face showing as "like getting engaged." Orko is one of the few beings on Eternia who know that Prince Adam is He-Man.

Orko is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Gabe Khouth in the 2002 series.

Buzz-Off

Buzz-Off (his real name is "Tzzzzt zzz zzTTTzz") is a humanoid bee.

He is the captain of the defense force of Andreenos in the 2002 version. He is considered a newcomer to the Masters of the Universe by Ram Man and, while loyal to the defenders of Eternia, is equally loyal to his Queen, at times using his free time to fetch honey berries for her. Buzz-Off tends to hold grudges, but his camaraderie with Stratos paved the way for peace between the peoples of Andreenos and Avion.

Buzz-Off is voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series and by Brian Dobson in the 2002 series.

Mekaneck

Mekaneck is the Heroic Warrior with a telescoping mechanical neck that enables him to serve as a spy and do reconnaissance.[15] Man-At-Arms is the one who gave him his extending prosthetic neck, although in the 2002 series this is never discussed; Man-At-Arms is only shown repairing kinks and damage to Mekaneck's neck.

In the 2002 series, Mekaneck occasionally feels useless and wishes he had better super powers than just an extending neck. This leads him to unknowingly retrieve Count Marzo's power amulet, in the vain hope that he'd be granted better abilities. He-Man and the other Masters finally convince Mekaneck of his worth.[7] Only the figure came with the club, he did not have this in the 1980s cartoon. However, he did use it in the 2002 series. Mekaneck also had a son by the name of Philip.

Mekaneck is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Gabe Khouth in the 2002 series.

CBR voted Mekaneck 10th worst he man toy.[13]

Fisto

Fisto is an extra-strong warrior with an enlarged metal right hand.[16][17] In the original series, he was the caretaker of a forest and was hesitant to join in the conflict against Skeletor. He was later appraised by both his fellow Eternians and an alien race as second in strength only to He-Man.

In the 2002 series, he is the last to join the Masters of the Universe and is revealed to be Man-At-Arms' older brother, to Teela's surprise. The brothers became estranged during the Great Unrest, when Fisto allegedly deserted Randor's forces. Fisto came to the aid of He-Man and the Masters, using his giant fist to free them from the rocks that had entrapped them in a cave-in ("Web of Evil"). This act shattered his hand, which Man-At-Arms replaced with a larger, metallic hand.[18] The 2002 figure was packaged as "Battle Fist" due to a conflict of copyrighted name with another toy line, but the character was still called Fisto in the animated series. Fisto did not have the classic action figure's purple sword in the cartoon or the new toyline.

Fisto is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Mark Acheson in the 2002 series.

Stridor

Stridor is Fisto's heroic armored war horse and faithful companion. Early depictions of the character show that he was destroyed and "reincarnated" with help of Man-At-Arms into the Night Stalker; others imply they are two separate and antagonistic characters. Stridor was available packaged with Fisto, as well as separately, although the basic look (in a monotone color scheme) was used for mechanical horses from the beginning of the animated series.

Sy-Klone

Sy-Klone (real name Dash-Shel) is a Heroic Warrior with the power of hyper-spin. He can generate whirlwinds and fly by spinning his torso and arms. He was only shown twice in the 1980s series because his figure was released before the cartoon's closure. The figure came with a yellow shield (which is absent in the cartoon).

In the 2002 continuity, Sy-Klone was recast as a mystic guardian of the Legacy Stones and the last defender of Anwat Gar, the Tibetan-Japanese-style temple that housed these stones. After destroying the stones, He-Man invited Sy-Klone to become a Master of the Universe. Sy-Klone's look resembles that of a stylized samurai. He tends to speak in proverbs, which irritates Teela from time to time. He is very lawful and righteous in nature.[19]

In the 2014 DC Comics ongoing series continuity, Sy-Klone was of the Gar race. Other Gar like him were still very much active during the period when King Grayskull lived.

Sy-Klone is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by John Payne in the 2002 series.

Roboto

Roboto is a robot Heroic Warrior.[20]

In the 2002 version, he was designed and built by Man-At-Arms as a chess-playing robot, who upgrades his body and his knowledge database into that of a fighter in order to assist in the defense of the Eternian palace. Roboto is seen as an unwanted and unskilled pest by Teela, the Captain of the Guards, until Roboto sacrifices himself to protect the Masters of the Universe. Man-At-Arms rebuilds him, and Roboto is finally accepted by Teela.[20] Roboto's mechanical nature helps He-Man in overcoming the Serpent Ring's evil magic, him being a machine did not get possessed by King Hiss's magic. Roboto is the only character (especially released as his figure at the same time he debuts in the cartoon) to appear only once in the 1980s cartoon because the cartoon was about to end when Mattel released his figure. Similar to Trap Jaw's figure, the right arm of the original action figure had interchangeable attachments, which included an axe, laser gun, and claw. Rotating the figure's waist causes gears in his torso to spin, as well as open and close his mouth, which typically hung open when the figure was packaged, but stayed firmly shut in the show unless he was speaking.

Roboto is voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series and by Michael Donovan in the 2002 series.

Moss Man

Moss Man (his real name is Kreann'ot n'Horosh) is a plant-based hero and master of camouflage who can manipulate plant matter, causing flowers to grow but also causing tidal waves of moss and vegetation.[4][21]

In the 2002 series, Moss Man is a quiet pastoral type who resides in the Eternian forests. Although invited to join the Masters of the Universe by He-Man, Moss Man chooses to retain his position as the guardian of Eternia's flora but agrees to help the Masters whenever he can. His assistance proves pivotal in "Council of Evil" and in other episodes.

The Moss Man figure came with a pine-like scent, textured fur-like moss, and was formed from the same mold as Beast Man.[22] His teeth were painted flat like a plant eater, but you could still see the unpainted Beast Man fangs. In the 1980s cartoon, he only has two appearances because the cartoon was drawing to a close by the time his figure was released. The club (figure's accessory) did not appear in the cartoon, in which he was portrayed as very peaceful.

Moss Man is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by John Payne in the 2002 series.

Comic Book Resources listed the character as part of He-Man: 15 Most Powerful Masters of the Universe.[23] CBR voted Moss-Man 7th worst he man toy.[13]

Snout Spout

Snout Spout is a heroic firefighter with a metal elephant-shaped head, who can squirt water out of his trunk.[9] He appears in the She-Ra cartoon and in several He-Man comic books as an Eternian warrior. In several of his She-Ra appearances, he is called by the figure's prototype name Hose Nose. He only appears in the She-Ra cartoon because the original He-Man cartoon stopped production by the time his figure was released. Of course one episode mentioned that he was a friend of He-Man. He more closely resembled the action figure in his "Snout Spout" appearance than he did in his "Hose Nose" appearance. A planned episode of She-Ra was to include Snout Spout's kind called Hosers, but it was scrapped. His figure came with a fireman's axe (he did not have this in the cartoon).

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Jaxton was an Etherian peasant who was one of three gladiators captured by Hordak and thrown into the experimental matrix which grafted cybernetic parts to him. He later escaped to Eternia and sided with He-Man.

Snout Spout is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s cartoon.

Extendar

Extendar is a mechanized being and Master of Extension. He did not have an animated form because his figure was made after the end of the Filmation cartoon, but was featured in the Masters of the Universe comics instead. Extendar was an Eternian who was captured (alongside his former friend Dragstor) and turned into a cyborg against his will by Hordak, only to escape before he could be brainwashed into serving his captor. He vowed to free his friend from Hordak's mind control. The figure came with a red trapezoidal-shaped shield which unfolded, doubling in size.

The Masters of the Universe Classics toyline introduced Extendar as a knight who was captured by Hordak and thrown into the experimental matrix which grafted cybernetic parts to him.

Rio Blast

Rio Blast
Masters of the Universe character
Created by Mattel
Information
Aliases Riolus Blast

Rio Blast is an Eternian gunslinger with weapons hidden in his body.[9] He was never seen in the 1980s cartoon because it came to a close before the release of his figure. "Colonel Blast," inspired by prototypes of this character, did appear on She-Ra: Princess of Power. In the Marvel comic, he was frequently shown eating cayenne peppers.

Rio Blast was voted No.5 in The 10 Most Unfortunate Masters Of The Universe Toys by Io9.[11]

In the Masters of the Universe toyline, Rio Blast was the sole survivor of a group of heroic explorers on a starband near Eternia and became the "law" of that last frontier. When a meteorb brought him to Eternia, he sided with He-Man in his battle against Skeletor's forces.

Rock People

The Rock People (also known as the Comet Warriors) are allies of He-Man and She-Ra. Both only appeared in the She-Ra cartoon, since the He-Man cartoon stopped production by the time their figures were released.

The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull

The Sorceress (her real name is Teela Na) is the mystic guardian of Castle Grayskull. It is she who bestows on Prince Adam the power to become He-Man. In the original animated series, the Sorceress cannot leave the castle for very long, or she will revert to her falcon form, Zoar (who was depicted in early portrayals as a separate character from the Sorceress).

In the 2002 series, the Sorceress is far from powerless outside Castle Grayskull in her human form, as she demonstrates when she magically defends a village against an evil warlord ("Out of the Past"). The 2002 series also portrays the Sorceress as more capable and more involved with the goings-on of Eternia. Unlike the 1980s Sorceress, who mainly sent psychic calls for help to He-Man, the 2002 Sorceress is more of a defender herself, physically and magically protecting Castle Grayskull and the power of the Elders contained within. The Sorceress is also the mother of Teela, who is destined to inherit her place, although Teela does not know this initially. In the 2002 incarnation, the Sorceress' connection to Teela is alluded to early on in the series. The Sorceress herself is quite different in appearance from her 80s version. The 1980s version features a woman in a white feathered leotard with a falcon-shaped feathered headdress and wings. In the 2002 version, the Sorceress is much more Egyptian in appearance, with a headdress resembling the Egyptian god Horus, an armored bodice, skirt, bare arms, jewelry, and a magical staff. It is disclosed that the Sorceress is just one in a line of Sorceresses whose duty it is to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull.

In the 2013-2014 DC Comics ongoing series, the Sorceress of Grayskull is captured and imprisoned by Skeletor. Loyal to the end, she refuses to talk or eat until an impatient Skeletor kills her before engaging his nephew Adam/He-Man in a battle outside Castle Grayskull where his Havoc staff is broken and his jaw shattered by He-Man, before being knocked into the pit between Grayskull and the Evergreen Forest. Skeletor is presumed dead, but Adam/He-Man knows this might not be true. A memorial service is held in the Sorceress' honor in Eternos City following the battle at Grayskull.

Her 1987 action figure was released belatedly, as the toyline was about to end. The Sorceress character originated at Mattel, but the action figure is based on her Filmation cartoon design.

The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull was voiced by Linda Gary in the 1980s series and by Nicole Oliver in the 2002 series. In the 1980s live-action film, the Sorceress is portrayed by Christina Pickles.

King Randor

King Randor is the ruler of Eternia, son of King Miro, husband to Queen Marlena, and father of Prince Adam and Princess Adora.

In the original animated series, King Randor is chiefly shown wearing his crown and royal (short) robes, presiding over dinners, and shaking his head over Adam's supposed laziness and Orko's apparent ineptitude. In the episode "Prince Adam No More," he helped He-Man fight off Skeletor's flying robots as they escape from Snake Mountain, mentioning his "strong left hook" from his battle years. Adam makes reference to this at the end of the episode, and Randor seems to take this as "keep the secret."

In the 2002 series, however, King Randor undergoes a major redesign and rewrite. Physically, he is tall, muscular, and compelling, somewhat Viking in appearance. He is introduced during the Great Unrest as a captain who, with comrades including Man-At-Arms, is defending Eternia from evil. After battling and mortally wounding the usurper Keldor, Captain Randor is informed by the Council of Elders that he will rule Eternia as king and, that in the times of future trouble, a hero will appear to assist him in defending the land. Throughout the 2002 series, Randor is shown to be a wise, just, and involved ruler of Eternia, presiding over peace talks with other peoples, forming a ruling council, and, at times, battling the forces of evil alongside He-Man and the Masters. Like the Sorceress, he too had his figure released belatedly in the toy line (in its closure rather than its opening).

King Randor is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Michael Donovan in the 2002 series.

Clamp Champ

Clamp Champ is a Heroic Warrior who wields a large handheld grabbing device as his primary weapon.[4] He was the only black character to have an action figure in the vintage toy line. Several black characters (such as Zodak and Dekker) have since been released in the 200X and Classics toy lines.

The character was planned for usage in the 2002 series as a replacement for Man-At-Arms, but the cartoon was cancelled before he could be featured in it.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Clamp Champ's real name is Raenius. He started out at King Randor's bodyguard before becoming the new Man-At-Arms after Duncan was turned into a Snake Man.

Rotar

Rotar is the Master of Hyper-Spin.[9] He was a guard at the Royal Palace of Eternia until one of battles against Skeletor's Evil Warriors left him injured. Man-At-Arms saved him with one of his latest inventions called the Gyro Machine. Rotar mostly goes up against Twistoid in battle.

His figure was made after the end of the 1980s Filmation cartoon so he did not appear in animation.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics storyline, Totar's real name is Runar.

Gwildor

Gwildor (or Willie as Skeletor calls him) is a dwarf-like Thenurian and inventor of the Cosmic Key.

He debuted in the Masters of the Universe movie where Evil-Lyn tricked him into giving her the Cosmic Key so that Skeletor can invade Castle Grayskull.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Gwildor's kind was called the Vejulian Gwitthrol Trolls that come from Tundaria. He attended Grimhammer University in Eternos and studied under many of Eternia's great inventors, archaeologists, and magicians. It was in a small village in Pelleezeea where Gwildor invented the Cosmic Key.

Gwildor is portrayed by Billy Barty in the 1980s live-action movie.

Meteorbs

The heroic Meteorbs are members of the Rock People who can transform from meteors into animal forms. They appear among Stonedar and Rokkon in the Star Comics (Comet Cat only appeared in one episode of the Filmation cartoons). They are portrayed as pets rather than equal members of the heroic warriors.

Tytus

Tytus was a heroic giant warlord with long blonde hair, who aided He-Ro in Preternia. His weapon of choice is an unusual hollowed-out "capture hammer", which he uses to grab his enemies.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics, Tytus came from Perpetua which he had to leave when the dinosaurs there developed strange techno parts. Upon meeting He-Ro, Tyrtus aided him against the Horde and the Snake Men. During the First Ultimate Battle Ground, Tytus fell in battle when he sacrificed his life to stop Megator.

Classics toyline characters (2008–2015)

King Grayskull

King D'vann Grayskull is an ancestor of He-Man who ruled Eternia and resided in Castle Grayskull ages before He-Man's time. His wife was the sorceress Veena. During the time of King Grayskull, the Snake People, led by King Hiss, were a threat, as was Hordak. Hordak defeated the forces of King Hiss and was set to challenge Grayskull. A magic Oracle (who, like Orko, hailed from Trolla) revealed to Grayskull that he already had the power within him to defeat Hordak. Mortally wounded in the battle, Grayskull instructed his comrades and advisors to use his power to keep the peace on Eternia and that, one day, a hero would come to help in that endeavor. As he died, Veena promised to protect the power that resided in Grayskull to the best of her abilities and, when she was no longer capable, that she would find one to take her place. Grayskull's immense power rose from his corpse, imbued his sword with power, then surrounded his comrades, who were magically transformed into the beings known as the Council of Elders. King Grayskull was drawn to resemble He-Man, although a more barbaric, Viking-style He-Man (Figure shown at San Diego Comic-Con).

King Grayskull was originally designed by the Four Horsemen to be an older He-Man.

King Grayskull's action figure was released as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline. In addition, there was an action figure called Spirit of Grayskull where the bio mentions that King Grayskull's ghost still resides in Castle Grayskull and helps the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull protect it.

King Grayskull was voiced by Cam Clarke in the 2002 series.

Queen Grayskull

Queen Veena Grayskull is the wife of King Grayskull. She is a sorceress with similar powers to the later Sorceress of Castle Grayskull where she wears bird-like attire, leg guards, and is always barefoot.

When King Grayskull died, Veena promised to protect the power that resided in Grayskull to the best of her abilities and, when she was no longer capable, that she would find one to take her place. In addition, she has taken on Sharella as her apprentice where Sharella became the Goddess of Castle Grayskull.

Queen Veena Grayskull was voiced by Nicole Oliver in the 2002 series.

Battle Lion

Battle Lion is a green lion named Granger who is the pet of King Grayskull and serves a role that would later be served by Cringer. When empowered by King Grayskull's powers, Granger becomes Battle Lion.

He-Ro

He-Ro was the most powerful wizard in the universe (in the unreleased Powers of Grayskull toyline) and a heroic cosmic warrior (in the Masters Of The Universe Classics toyline). He was the protagonist of the "Powers of Grayskull" prequel that was never released. He led the forces of Eternia against the forces of King Hiss and the Snake Men.

His alter ego in "The Powers of Grayskull" line was going to be a young man named Gray, mirroring the Adam/He-Man dual identity. Uttering the magic words "By the power of good, I strive for peace!" would transform Gray into He-Ro.

According to his 2009 action figures' packaging biography, his real name is Ro and he was infected with a techno-organic virus by the Horde Supreme during an epic battle and sent through a vortex to the magic planet of Eternia, where he was healed by Eldor. Out of gratitude, he fought with King Grayskull, eventually bequeathing his magic sword to King Grayskull upon his heroic death.

In 1996, a prequel TV series was proposed featuring the character.[24][25]

The Goddess of Eternia

After the death of King Grayskull, the Power of the Universe was transferred from the Sword of Power to the Council of Elders, who hid it deep within his castle. Knowing the full sword was the key to channeling the power again, they split it in two to prevent it from falling into the hands of evil. For five thousand years, they waited for a worthy heir to be born. During this time their spirit guide, the creature known as The Goddess of Eternia, trained secret heroic guardians to keep the two halves of the sword separated. Many of these brave warriors took the name "He-Man" in honor of the sword they protected giving birth to many different legends of the protector of Eternia.

The Goddess is a translucent green repaint of the Masters of the Universe Classics Teela action figure. She is based on an early version of the Sorceress, as she appeared in the minicomic "He-Man and the Power Sword". This figure is notorious among collectors for its poor quality plastic, which is prone to breakage.

The characters "real name" Sharella originates from the short-lived Masters of the Universe spin-off line "The Powers of Grayskull", where she was intended to be a tribal chieftess who would have helped Eldor raise Gray (aka He-Ro), and guided him in his battles against the Snake Men. While the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline used the name Sharella for the Goddess of Castle Grayskull, it was also mentioned that she started out as an apprentice to Queen Grayskull.

Wun-Dar

One hundred years before Prince Adam was born, Wun-Dar, a warrior from deep in the savage underground city of Tundaria, rescued a young woman who turned out to be the Goddess of Eternia. Providing him with cosmic battle armor and a sophisticated ray gun that could tap into almost unlimited power, the Goddess tasked Wun-Dar to protect both halves of the sword of He and keep them apart so as not to fall into the hands of evil. Like many warriors before him, Wun-Dar became known as "The He-Man", battling in a savage way to keep evil from obtaining the key to the great power hidden inside the long-forgotten Castle Grayskull.

The character Wun-Dar was created for the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, with an action figure available exclusively to customers who purchased the monthly (2010) subscription. This figure is based on "Savage He-Man", an extremely rare action figure of unknown origins, which is a brown-haired repaint of the original 1982 He-Man. It is commonly believed among the fan community to be a promotional item associated with Wonder Bread, but no documentation has as yet been found to prove the theory. Mattel named the Classics figure "Wun-Dar" to pay homage to the myth, as well as including a small plastic loaf of bread accessory with the toy.

Fearless Photog

1986 Mattel held a contest for children to send in designs for new characters. Then 12-year-old Nathan Bitner entered the contest with Fearless Photog, eventually winning. Despite the contest's premise however, Fearless Photog never actually went into production.

In 2011, Mattel revealed that Fearless Photog would finally receive a figure as the first entry in their six-figure Masters of the Universe Classics 30th Anniversary series. His bio depicts him as an apprentice to Gwildor who invented the Photog Emulator which got him a spot in the Masters of the Universe. During the Second Ultimate Battleground, Fearless Photog defeated Clawful and Whiplash.

Fearless Photog had the ability to "focus in" on his enemies and drain their strength. His chest plate displayed silhouettes of his defeated enemies.

Queen Marlena

Queen Marlena (voiced by Linda Gary in the 1980s series, Jay Scheimer in a few episodes,[26] Nicole Oliver in the 2002 series) is Queen of Eternia and mother of the twins Prince Adam and Princess Adora.[27] Both the original cartoon series and the 2002 series show her as suspecting her son is He-Man. In the 1980s series, she is originally Lt. Marlena Glenn from Earth, one of the first female astronauts. Her ship crash-landed on Eternia. In the 1980s series, Queen Marlena is portrayed wearing a crown and long gown and not doing much other than attending dinners with her husband King Randor. However, in the episode "The Rainbow Warrior", her skills as both a pilot and a leader are shown in great detail. Later in that episode it is hinted that Queen Marlena also knows her son is He-Man. This is later confirmed on the Classics toy's biography card. Queen Marlena in the 2002 series also wears a gown and crown, but unlike her previous incarnation, offers counsel to her husband and goes on diplomatic missions around Eternia. She is also able to fight with a knife and blaster to defend herself as seen when she is stalked by Kobra Khan and Tung Lashor. Unlike her husband King Randor, she did not have a toy made of her until the Masters of the Universe Classics line in 2011, which packaged her as both the royal queen and the space captain.[28]

Eternian Palace Guards

The Eternian Palace Guards are made up of the bravest and noblest warriors in the Light Hemisphere of Eternia. They serve as the soldiers of King Randor and are led by Teela and Man-At-Arms. There was a two pack of the generic Palace Guards in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

The Mighty Spector

John Spector is a former palace guard who eventually became known as The Mighty Spector, a time-traveling spy in a purple "vortex suit". Reporting to King He-Man in the not-to-distant future, he travels around in a hovercraft he calls the "Spectormobile". Member of the Time Agents. Created exclusively for the Classics toyline.

Sir Laser-Lot

Sir Laser-Lot is a knight in an enchanted blue armor wielding a laser sword, shield, and mace. Designed by Geoff Johns and sculpted by the Four Horsemen, Sir Laser-Lot was created exclusively for the Classics toyline. He was the mightiest of King Grayskull's knights on Preternia. He-Man had Sir-Laserlot brought to the present to serve as the King's new Man-at-Arms so that he can train the King's son Dare and the Royal Guards in ancient battle techniques.

Dekker

Dekker (voiced by Blu Mankuma) was originally a mercenary from the Dunes of Doom who sided with King Miro during the Great Unrest. When working for King Miro, Dekker trained the palace guards and met Duncan who Dekker took on as an apprentice. Dekker later retired to life as a fisherman on Orkos Island and had passed his Man-At-Arms title to Duncan. He does occasionally help the Masters of the Universe in their fight against the forces of evil.

Dekker was created for the 2002 cartoon series, and was eventually made into an action figure in the Classics toyline which revealed his full history.

Castle Grayskullman

Castle Grayskullman was created for the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline after winning the 30th Anniversary "Create-A-Character" contest. The action figures swords are based upon the original Castle Grayskull playset's flag symbols and his shield is based upon the emblem on the Castle's Jawbridge.

During the Second Ultimate Battleground, Hordak and King Hiss’ grand army pressed in against the allied heroes of Eternia. Reaching out through the Orb of Power that is hidden deep inside Castle Grayskull, He-Man and Teela (who is the new Sorceress of Castle Grayskull) used an unrepeatable spell to call upon the Powers of Grayskull and infuse life into the very walls of the castle itself. Rising from the castle’s hidden Chamber of Defense, Castle Grayskullman marched into battle swinging his dual swords of power where he helped to turn the tide.

Lord Dactys

Lord Dactys (voiced by Richard Newman in the 2002 series) is the leader of the pterodactyl-like Speleans and an old friend of King Randor. In "To Walk with Dragons," Lord Dactys becomes a member of King Randor's council. He later gained an action figure in the Classics toyline, with his name incorrectly spelled as Lord Dactus.

Eldor

Eldor was a great wizard and sage who was He-Ro's mentor in Preternia and the guardian of The Book of Living Spells. The original action figure was created but not produced. Only prototype pictures exist.

In 2014, Mattel finally released a Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Eldor. His bio stated that he found "Gray" in a crater affected by a techno virus where Eldor healed him with a mystic pool. To repay Eldor, "Gray" became his student and they fought against the Snake Men.

Chief Carnivus

Exclusive to the 2002 series, Chief Carnivus (voiced by Paul Dobson) is the warrior chief of the Qadians, a tribe of cat-people. In "To Walk with Dragons," Chief Carnivus becomes a member of King Randor's council. He later gained an action figure in the Classics toyline where his full name is Carnivus Fervelius III.

Kulatuk Elder

The Kulatuk Elder (voiced by Campbell Lane) is the elderly leader of the snow monster-like Kulatuks which were at first thought to be mythical and is exclusive to the 2002 series. In "To Walk with Dragons," the Kulatuk Elder becomes a member of King Randor's council.

A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of the character named King Chooblah was released.

Lizard Man

Created for the original He-Man cartoon, Lizard Man (voiced by Lou Scheimer) is a lizard man. He is shorter than most of his battle comrades with speed and agility as his main attributes.

He did not have a toy made of him[29] until 2015, when he was included in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline which revealed that his real name is Gayn. Lizard Man's bio states that he has dealt with discrimination due to his genetic connections to the Snake Men.

Oo-Larr

Exclusive to the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Oo-Larr is a jungle He-Man.

Vikor

Exclusive to the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Vikor is the "He-Man of the North."

Sometime after King Grayskull's death, a viking-like warrior from the north named Vikor was chosen by the Goddess of Castle Grayskull to help protect the Sword of He as Eternia awaits a true heir to be born. Some of his known heroics involved fighting the remaining Snake Men and defending the Valley of Gnarl from the Fighting Foe Men. Vikor's legends will never be forgotten in the great archives of Eternia.

Other Heroes associated with MOTU

He-Man has several allies who are independent from the Heroic Warriors. Although they only occasionally assist He-Man (and only when it suits their purposes), they are considered heroic characters nonetheless.

Granamyr

Granamyr (voiced by John Erwin) is the oldest and wisest of the dragons of Darksmoke, an ancient dragon kingdom on Eternia. Granamyr greatly distrusts humans after a great war between the dragons and humans centuries ago, but he strongly respects He-Man, who convinces him there is still some hope for humankind. Granamyr is one of the most powerful magic users on Eternia and apparently possesses such extraordinary power that even Skeletor dares not challenge him.

He did not have a toy made of him in the vintage era, but as of December 2012, he has now been included in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.[30]

Faceless One

Created for the 2002 cartoon series, the Faceless One (voiced by Richard Newman) is an ancient ruler of the former city of Zalesia, which now lies in ruins. As punishment for betraying the people of Eternia to the Snake Men, the Council of Wisdom cursed him with immortality and mystically imprisoned him within the boundaries of his own city. Thousands of years later, he offers his help to He-Man to atone for his past misdeeds, but can only exist outside Zalesia in an intangible ghost-like state. He is later revealed to be Evil-Lyn's father.

An action figure of the Faceless One was released in 2011 as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

Procrustus

Originally appearing in a comic book, Procrustus is a giant with four arms who resides at the very centre of Eternia, holding the planet itself together with his mystical strength.

A toy of Procrustus was released in 2012 as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

Strobo

Strobo is a Cosmic Enforcer who appears in a comic book. He has a mirror built into his chest and possesses light-reflecting powers. His design was based on a mixture of parts from existing characters- Sy-Klone's body, Zodac's head, and King Randor's cape.

A Masters of the Universe Classics action figure of him was released in 2013.

Cartoon/Comic exclusive heroes

Movie Characters

None of these characters had toys made of them.

Evil Warriors

Vintage toyline characters (1982–88)

Skeletor

Skeletor is the main antagonist of He-Man.[31] In the original illustrated books and in the Filmation series, Skeletor is an evil demon from another dimension. A later Mattel minicomic implies that he was once Keldor, brother of King Randor, which was in fact intended. The 2002 series and related materials confirm that Skeletor was once a man named Keldor, though the series itself established no familial connection prior to its cancellation, his connection to Randor was heavily implied. The later DVD releases of the series featured bios, confirming ultimately that the shows' creators conceived of Keldor as Randor's half-brother.

The only main difference between Skeletor in the cartoon and on the figure is there is no green on his face in the cartoon, nor red glow in his eyes, unlike that of the figure. The original Skeletor figures wore boots designed for clawed feet. This feature was omitted in Skeletor and a number of other evil warriors in the Filmation series. Later, he was depicted with ordinary human feet with long, pointed toenails on them.

Skeletor is voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series (recycling the voice he used for Ming the Merciless in Filmation's previous series Flash Gordon), Campbell Lane in the 1990s series, and by Brian Dobson in the 2002 series. In the 1980s live-action movie, Skeletor is portrayed by Frank Langella.

Panthor

Panthor is Skeletor's evil feline companion, a giant purple panther creature called a Diylnx who serves as an evil counterpart to Battle Cat.[32] He would usually be seen by his master's side in his lair or riding Skeletor into battle against He-Man and Battle Cat.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Panthor was a cub by the time an exiled Keldor found him and Panthor had remained loyal to Keldor ever since.

Beast Man

Beast Man makes his debut in Mattel's very first illustrated books as a follower of Skeletor. As the toyline expanded, he stayed at Skeletor's side. Beast Man is a mandrill-like humanoid with orange and red fur, who can telepathically summon wild creatures of Eternia to aid Skeletor's schemes.[14] He was frequently portrayed as a buffoon who could not do much correctly. The whip that accompanied the action figure rarely appeared in the 1980s cartoon but was frequently used in the 2002 incarnation as Beast Man's way of controlling the animals he summoned to do his bidding.

In the 2002 series, Beast Man is far more ferocious and more of a threat to the heroes. He is a skilled fighter and often comes to the rescue of Skeletor and his fellow Evil Warriors, using his griffins as their most frequent means of transportation.

Beast Man is voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series and by Scott McNeil in the 2002 series. Beast Man also featured in the 1987 live action movie where he was played by Tony Carroll.

Mer-Man

Mer-Man is a fish-man who controls sea life, often depicted as the ruler of Eternia's undersea kingdom. The original action figure had unpainted gloves and boots, unlike the cartoon. The sword he used in the cartoon is different to the "fishbone" sword that the figure came with.[33]

Mer-Man is voiced by Alan Oppenheimer in the 1980s series and by Scott McNeil in the 2002 series.

Comic Book Resources listed the character as part of He-Man: 15 Most Powerful Masters of the Universe.[23]

Evil-Lyn

Evil-Lyn is a malevolent sorceress, whose powers seem to be second only to Skeletor's. Exceptionally cunning, she's merely in Skeletor's ranks to suit her own ends. In the original series, she was not reliant on wands and other objects to generate her magic, although she has used such artifacts as the Shaping Staff to supplement her spectacular innate powers on a few occasions. She evinced shades of goodness in one or two episodes, such as 'The Witch and the Warrior', but her nature is essentially fiendish. There was nothing romantic in her relationship with Skeletor in the original Filmation series, unlike subsequent versions. Although her primary affiliation was with Skeletor, she would also venture out on her own and assist other dark lords such as Dark-Dream and Gorgon on occasion. She seemed to be the only one of Skeletor's evil warriors with the courage to raise her voice at him and chastise him.[14]

The original figure has yellow skin, although she is depicted in both animated series as having a pallid caucasian flesh tone. In "The Witch and the Warrior," she removes her helmet for the only time in the series because of extreme heat, and has closely cut white hair. In an earlier episode she appeared to the Widgets as a blonde, but she was specifically using a magic spell to alter her appearance, even though she wore her usual clothing.

In the 2002 series, much more of Evil-Lyn's background is revealed, including the fact that her father, known as The Faceless One, is a powerful sorcerer who despairs of his daughter's choice to follow Skeletor. Although Evil-Lyn is shown to have her own agenda, she still maintains some loyalty to her bloodline ("The things I do for family", she mutters as she rescues the Ram's Stone from the abyss). Her first meeting with Keldor shows her as a young woman with collar-length white hair who is physically attracted to the man who would become Skeletor ("I like what I see," she purrs at Keldor). Later in the series, her hair is shown to be close cropped. This version of Evil-Lyn relied heavily on her magical staff to cast her spells. Without it, her powers were significantly diminished.

Evil-Lyn is voiced by Linda Gary in the 1980s series and by Kathleen Barr in the 2002 series. In the live action movie, she is played by Meg Foster.

Tri-Klops

Tri-Klops is a 3-eyed interdimensional bounty hunter and swordsman who can see in any direction.[34] His eyes, which are on a rotating visor around his head, have different abilities in different versions; one common ability is the power to see through solid objects with his "Gammavision". He is also able to see in the dark and over long distances with his Night-vision and Dista-vision eyes. Tri-Klops wears the "Gammavision" ever since he was blinded in an accident. In both the 1983 and 2002 cartoons, his eyes can also shoot energy bolts, although this is not commonly used in other material. A well-known classic villain of the MOTU line, Tri-Klops was one of Skeletor's chief henchmen, stoic and obedient, and was frequently featured in the Filmation cartoon.[35]

The 2002 version depicts him as Skeletor's irritable inventor, with some cybernetic features to his appearance. According to the book Mastering the Universe "Tri-Klops was a good guy" (p. 120) [Roger Sweet may have meant he was originally supposed to be good; ultimately the toyline and all media depicted him as an Evil Warrior]. The original toy's product subtitle carried on all packaging and advertisements was "Evil & sees everything". Tri-Klops has brown hair in the cartoon (the figure has black hair), the visor helmet has different shapes of eyes (square, circle and triangle) [all white and red] in the cartoon but, on the figure, one eye is light blue, one eye is white & red (green on the 200X and Classics figures), and one is a dark red; the edges of his armor aren't as jagged in the cartoon unlike that of the figure, his boots are reddish-brown instead of black in the cartoon (only the figure's boots are black) and he did not wield the long sword in the cartoon (the sword only came with the figure).

Tri-Klops is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Paul Dobson in the 2002 series.

Trap Jaw

Trap Jaw is a weapons expert and cyborg with a metal jaw, which can bite through anything.[36][37] In the mini-comic originally packaged with Trap Jaw, "The Menace of Trap Jaw," he is a villain from another dimension that Skeletor invades in an attempt to enter Castle Grayskull. While Skeletor attempts to weaken the Castle's defenses, Trap Jaw, who is being pursued by authorities, slams into Skeletor and knocks him back through the dimensional portal to Eternia. Back on Eternia, Trap Jaw emerges from the Castle connected to its power by a magical cord. Both He-Man and Skeletor attempt to defeat Trap Jaw, but eventually realize that they must join their halves of the power sword to be strong enough to sever the magical cord connecting Trap Jaw to the Castle. The comic ends with Skeletor carrying the unconscious Trap Jaw back to Snake Mountain where he will become one of his minions.

Trap Jaw's origin is very different in the 2002 comic series. Originally a minion of Keldor named Kronis, he was badly injured (offscreen) during a fight with the Council of Elders. He was then rebuilt into a cyborg by replacing his damaged humanoid right arm and jaw with mechanical parts, renaming himself Trap Jaw. Later, the cartoon demonstrates that the more metal he eats the stronger he becomes, and one episode focuses on a quest to eat the strongest chemical element in Eternia called Eternium (which was forged and guarded by a group of subterranean dwellers called the Kulatuks). He is defeated by getting tricked into eating a special alloy named Deterninum that weakens him. Both cartoon series depict Trap Jaw as bold but coarse.

In the 1980s cartoon, his helmet, mantrap mouth, robotic arm and legs are cerise but his robotic arm and legs were black on the original figure; the figure's helmet and mantrap mouth are recolored purplish red. Whereas he had loads of arm attachments in the cartoon (again, most were colored cerise in the cartoon), the figure only came with three (claw, gun and hook) [these were also black]. His belt did not have the skull and crossbones (Jolly Roger) in the cartoon; this was only on the figure's belt. The figure had yellow eyes whereas he had normal eyes in the cartoon.

Trap Jaw is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Paul Dobson in the 2002 series.

Faker

Faker is an evil duplicate of He-Man, created by Skeletor.[4] The toy version is done in blue with red hair and orange torso armor, with the backstory that he is a robot duplicate that did not work out. In one annual, he is a deformed clone. However, in his sole appearance in the cartoon, Faker is a magical creation, identical to He-Man apart from glowing eyes and odd intonation.[38]

Faker is voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series.

NOTE: Faker was voted No.8 in The 14 Least Masterful Masters of the Universe by Io9.[4]

Jitsu

Jitsu appeared only once as a supporting character in "The Dragon Invasion" episode in 1983. The character's name in the script is Chopper, although he is not named on-screen. His role in this episode is to accompany Skeletor in an invasion of Castle Grayskull. He has only one line and aside from a brief display of his karate-chopping abilities (his right hand, which has the ability to smash through things, is gold rather than flesh) [one of those variations from cartoon and figure appearances], has no character development. He is not used in the series again, even when the toy figure was released in 1984, since the creators of the cartoon feared he would be seen as a racist stereotype to Asians.

The character appeared in the minicomic stories Hordak: The Ruthless Leader's Revenge! and Mantenna and the Menace of the Evil Horde! The character was not used in the 2002 franchise relaunch, though was included in Series 6 of NECA's Masters of the Universe mini-statue line, and came with a pack-in figurine of Odiphus, which had originally been planned for release in 2005. Other variations with Jitsu from his animated and figure counterparts - the figure has a full goatee beard but, in the cartoon, he only has a Fu Manchu moustache and, whereas the figure has very brown skin, he is a bit whiter in the cartoon (his boots are even not black in the cartoon unlike those of the figure). Also, the Samurai sword that came with the figure was not included with the character in the cartoon.

Jitsu is voiced in the 1980s cartoon by Lou Scheimer.

Night Stalker

Night Stalker appears only in original mini-books. Some versions depict it as Jitsu's evil robotic steed while other versions describe it as the "reincarnation" of the heroic Stridor. The original toyline paired the robot horse with Jitsu, making the duo the evil counterparts of Stridor and Fisto.

Whiplash

Whiplash is an alligator-like creature whose tail is a formidable weapon. He is one of Skeletors' Evil Warriors. He did not have the toys spear in the cartoon (this only came with the figure) and, like Mer-Man and Tri-Klops, the character was initially planned to be a Heroic Warrior.

In the 2002 cartoon, he is the younger brother of King Ceratus and betrayed his kind when he sided with Skeletor. This series revealed that he and King Ceratus are Caligars.

Whiplash is voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series and by Garry Chalk in the 2002 series.

Clawful

Clawful is a giant anthropomorphic crab with claws similar to a fiddler crab. Whereas the figure has swarthy skin and its boots are dark blue, he has all red skin and yellow boots in the cartoon (the mace included with the figure did not even appear in the cartoon).

In the 2002 series, Clawful is strong but has a childlike mentality and isn't very clever. Despite his constant blunders, it seems he is the only Master of Evil whom Evil-Lyn is fond of. In one episode we encounter more members of his race, who are more intelligent than Clawful. They can communicate with each other via long distances using the clicking of their pincers.

Clawful is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s cartoon and by Scott McNeil in the 2002 series.

Webstor

Webstor is a blue-skinned creature with the abilities of a spider. A two-bit thief who resembles a goblin with a grappling hook in the 1980s series. In the 1980s cartoon, he never used the rifle included with the figure.

In the 2002 version, he is an Arachna, a spider-like race that are enemies of the Andreenids. He can spin webs, has spider-like legs, sprouting from his back, and multiple eyes.

Webstor is voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series and by Brian Dobson in the 2002 series.

NOTE: Webstor was voted No.3 in The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features by Topless Robot.[39]

Screeech

Screeech is a barbaric bird that spies for Skeletor.

In the 1983 cartoon, Screeech is robotic. It is replaced by a bird-like levitating device called a Doomseeker in the 2002 series, which is used by Tri-Klops to increase the range of his vision-powers and spy on the Heroic Warriors.

Two Bad

Two Bad is an Evil Warrior strategist with two heads that constantly argue among themselves.[40] The UK comics name the two heads "Blue Face" and "Yellow Band".

The early figures had a more fully rounded back on the torso, but then the figures were released with more of a flattened back. He was never featured prominently in the 1980s cartoon because it was drawing to a close by the time his figure was released. However, his only prominent appearance in the 1980s cartoon was "Capture the Comet Keeper". This is because he was the replacement character in the episode working for Skeletor at Snake Mountain for Beast Man and Trap Jaw, who were going to feature in the episode, but Robert Lamb asked Arthur Nadel to replace them with Two Bad to make Mattel's newest figure releases more prominent in the cartoon. The shield included with the figure did not appear in the cartoon.

In the 2002 version, they were originally two bounty hunters named Tuvar and Baddhra who were recommended to Skeletor by Whiplash and who were magically fused together into one being by Skeletor after they failed to work together to destroy He-Man. Two Bad becomes one (or two) of Skeletor's Evil Warriors and appears throughout the remainder of the series among Skeletor's henchmen.

Two Bad is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Brian Drummond and Mark Gibbon in the 2002 series.

CBR voted Two bad 12th worst he man toy.[13]

Spikor

Spikor is a humanoid covered in spikes, and he has a trident for a left arm.[41] He serves as Skeletor's blacksmith. He was not featured prominently in the cartoon because his figure was released when the cartoon was drawing to a close and, in the cartoon, did not use the club that came with the figure. In the cartoon, Spikor had normal arms in some episodes and the trident for his left arm in some other episodes.

Spikor is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series.

NOTE: Spikor was voted No.10 in The 10 Most Unfortunate Masters Of The Universe Toys by Io9.[11]

Stinkor

Stinkor is an anthropomorphic skunk with magical control over his own stench.[22] His action figure used the same mold as Mer-Man, wore the same mold of armor as Mekaneck, and actually smelled of patchouli oil, one of only three scented toys Mattel produced (the others being Moss Man and also Perfuma from the She-Ra line).[4]

In the 2002 version, Stinkor was once a Paeleezean named Odiphus who romanticized the lives of outlaws. The Sorceress tells that, in the time of the Great Unrest, Odiphus betrayed his people to Prahvus in the hopes of being accepted into the evil warlord's gang. Upon the warlord's defeat by the Sorceress, Odiphus was captured and about to be executed. The Sorceress intervened and Odiphus' life was spared, although he was exiled and retains a grudge against his people. His first appearance is in the Eternian prison, gleeful over Kobra Khan's escape, although he is not named at that time. Through serendipity, an explosion he caused while meddling in Tri-Klops' lab fulfilled his dream of joining Skeletor's organization. The resulting mutations caused the furry creature to gain height, muscle, and the ability to speak in a humanoid manner. His stench is so awful (even to himself, but especially to Eternia's dragons) that a special armored suit was created for him to keep the smell as under control as possible. Some stink still escapes the suit, causing Skeletor and the other evil warriors to cover their noses and to treat Stinkor politely in order to get him out of the room as efficiently as possible.[42][43]

Stinkor is voiced by Brian Drummond in the 2002 series.

NOTE: Stinkor was voted No. 30 in The 36 Worst Action Figures From Iconic Toy Lines by Cracked.[44] Stinkor was voted No.7 in The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features by Topless Robot.[12] CBR voted Stinkor 6th worst he man toy.[13]

Ninjor

Ninjor is a ninja warrior who works for Skeletor. He was never featured in the cartoon because his figure was released after it ended.

Scare Glow

Scare Glow is a skeleton ghost warrior, who seems to have a solid but translucent body, and whose bones emit a strong glow which can intimidate even the bravest opponents. He wears a long purple cape, and there is a small crack on the forehead of his cranium. He carries a scythe, which is often called the 'Scythe of Doom'.

Scare Glow was introduced into the toy line in 1987. His action figure is notable for its 'glow-in-the-dark' special feature, the 'bones' glowing when positioned in a dark space.

Labeled as the "Evil Ghost of Skeletor," he refers to himself as the Ghost of Skeletor in the mini comic, Scare Glow was packaged with the mini-comic "The Search for Keldor". In this comic he is summoned to Eternia by Skeletor using a magic spell to call forth the most evil beings of space and time, although it is never stated which time period or dimension Scare Glow originates from. He is sent out with Ninjor on a mission to attack the Heroic Warriors with the power of his glow. He uses the glow to overpower Prince Adam, evoking in him so much fear that he is even too scared to change into He-Man. However, he is ousted from Adam's path by Clamp Champ, giving Adam the time to change into He-Man and subsequently defeat him.

Due to the fact that Scare Glow was never featured in the original Filmation cartoon, the action figure was released in the last series of the original toy line in 1987. As a result, due in part to the figures mysterious origin, it has become one of the most sought after and hardest to find figures by fans. Scare Glow was one of the last figures released. As fewer figures were selling by this late stage, less were produced, making it rarer as a result. On auction sites such as eBay, loose figures have been sold for as much as $100 and the mint condition never opened package (also known as Mint On Card or MOC) Scare Glow has been sold as high as $1,200 USD. The last version issued with the glow in the dark Halberd accessory (versus the more common Halberd made of non-glowing green plastic) is the rarest and hardest to find version of this figure.

Because he is one of the last figures to be released in Mattel's toy line, Scare Glow never appeared in the accompanying cartoon series, which had been discontinued by this time, and his appearances throughout all media are minimal. Another story that majorly features him is "Enter the Ninjor" in issue #11 of the UK Adventure Magazine, which gives him an origin as a being of pure light energy, created by Skeletor in his own image. Invisible in the light, but not in the dark, he is sent out with Ninjor to mount a series of silent, unseen attacks on He-Man and Fisto as they explore Viper Tower. His origin as a magical creation of Skeletor is taken from a promotional card provided by Mattel to the publishers of various story media. A similar story of Scare Glow coming from another dimension summoned by Skeletor is told in an issue of Marvel's Star Comics, Masters of the Universe series.

Although he is not featured in the 2002 relaunch of the Masters of the Universe franchise, Scare Glow is used in the comic series from MV Creations. He is featured in a special Halloween comic "The Power of Fear" that was given away free at the 2003 Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) fundraiser, and sold in comic shops to raise additional donations to the CAAF. The story features Scare Glow as a character from another dimension who is summoned by Skeletor to use his powers against the Masters.

Twistoid

Twistoid is a robotic minion of Skeletor. Skeletor stole the blueprints for the machine Man-At-Arms used to create Rotar and used the machine to create Twistoid. He and Rotar are rivals.[9]

Twistoid did not appear in the cartoon because it ceased production before his figure's debut.[4] Twistoid was voted by Mania.com as the seventh most Crazy Masters of the Universe Figures.[9]

In the Masters of the Universe Classics storyline, Twistoid was depicted as a purely robotic energy robot

Blast-Attak

Blast-Attak is a robotic warrior built as a walking time bomb. After a set period of time, he will explode and cause immense damage before reforming, unharmed. He did not appear in the cartoon because it ended before his figure was released. There is some debate over which faction he belongs to, as the Mattel style guide and the original toy packaging state that he is an Evil Warrior of Skeletor, whilst some comics depict him as a member of the Snake Men serving King Hiss. The Masters of the Universe Classics toyline designates him as a Snake Man.

Blade

Blade is a master swordsman and bounty hunter with an eyepatch and has a shenandoah but no hair. His swordsmanship can rival He-Man's. He appears in the 1987 movie, the mini-comics and the Marvel comics. Originally Tri-Klops was going to appear in the movie instead. Like Tri-Klops, his toy is sometimes mistaken for a Heroic Warrior due to his human appearance.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Blade started out as a pirate from the Kylax System who was transported to Eternia by Skeletor. He agreed to help Skeletor at the right price.

He was portrayed by Anthony De Longis in the 1987 live-action film.

Saurod

Saurod is a reptilian who can emit sparks out of his mouth.

He is featured in the 1987 movie assisting Blade, Beast Man, and Karg into retrieving the Cosmic Key. Originally, Mer-Man was slated to appear the movie instead of Saurod, but Mattel would not allow the filmmakers to kill off a character they had created. Saurod is vaporized by Skeletor as penalty for the group's failure. He does not speak in the movie and his name is pronounced by Evil-Lyn as "Saraad" rather than 'Saw-rod".

His action figure has been the source of controversy with claims that it should not be given to a very young child because the sparks that come out of his mouth are a potential fire hazard.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Saurod's bio identifies him as C'Ngrel Chouluth, a Klybian Lizard Man from the planet Draphnos who rode a meteor shower to Eternia after escaping from Prison Starr. As one of the three reptilian species that were spliced with Snake Man DNA, Saurod became an enemy of King Hiss and sided with Skeletor. It was stated that during the Second Ultimate Battleground, Saurod slew Sssqueeze and Snake Face. Saurod also tried to steal the Cosmic Key from Gwildor to go back in time to prevent the dilution of his species.

Saurod is portrayed by Pons Maar in the 1987 live-action film.

Evil Meteorbs

These Meteorbs are renegade members of the Rock People who can transform from meteors to animal forms. They are portrayed as pets rather than equal members of the Evil Warriors.

Modern toyline characters (200X)

Mutant Warrior

The Mutant Warrior was the only all-new toy-made character from the 2002 toyline until the appearance of the King Grayskull figure. It is a skeleton monster, with a hollow chest which can be filled with slime. It was included with the Mutant Slime Pit playset.

Classics toyline characters (2008–2015)

Gygor

Exclusive to the Classics toyline, Gygor is a super-strong gorilla-like creature with yellow fur and green skin who is the Lord of the Vine Jungle. Shortly after the Great Unrest and Keldor's forces being driven behind the Mystic Wall. Gygor led an army of Beast Men in a series of raids against the long forgotten Castle Grayskull, believing the many tales of its great and mysterious power. It was only through the combined powers of Oo-Larr (the jungle He-Man) and the Goddess that Gygor was defeated and placed in a state of suspended animation. Eventually, Hordak returned to Eternia and Gygor was freed by Evil-Lyn in her attempt to bolster Skeletor's forces against the new Horde army. His toy is based on an unproduced prototype from the vintage Masters toyline.

Icer

Originating in the Filmation cartoon, Icer is Skeletor's northern agent who can freeze someone and dissolve into water to get under tight spots. His only cartoon appearance involved him raiding an arctic base to steal an invention that was guarded there. He does not like heat.

Icer did not have a toy made of him until the collector-centric Masters of the Universe Classics series.

Fang Man

Originating in the Filmation cartoon, Fang Man is a dragonoid who appeared in one episode "The Time Corridor". He has power to control dragon-like creatures called Dragosaurs. He was left back in time with Tri-Klops and was never seen in another episode again, yet Tri-klops was. Some sources state that he is a Snake Man known as Fang-Shu. He is possibly the prototype of Kobra Khan of the Snake Men, who was released as a figure, as he can squirt mist from his mouth.

He did not have a toy made of him until the Collector-centric Masters of the Universe Classics series which stated that he was evolved from an ancient Dragosaur species and confirmed that Fang Man was left in the past. The bio for that toy also states that Fang Man resides with his ancestors on Dragosaur Isle awaiting the return of Skeletor.

Batros

Originating in the Filmation cartoon, Batros is an anthropomorphic bat who resides on the dark side of Eternia. He has helped Skeletor out, although he is generally an independent villain and will not officially ally himself with any evil team

He did not have a toy made of him, until the Masters of the Universe Classics line. The symbol over his chest straps strongly resembles the Evil Horde's red bat-winged insignia. That and the fact that an origin episode for the Sorceress featuring 3 aliens wearing Horde uniforms, and flying in Horde ships leads many to assume that he may have been one of several teasers for the upcoming She-Ra: Princess of Power series.

Strongarm

Originating in the Filmation cartoon, Strongarm is a cyborg with a long metal right arm with strength that can rival He-Man's. He only appeared in "She Demon of Phantos."

Strongarm did not have a toy made of him until the Collector-centric Masters of the Universe Classics series where he was referred to as "Strong-Or." His bio in that toyline stated that Strongarm was originally Dalmus Fu, a photanium mines worker on Phantos who lost his right arm and parts of his face when a mechanical press folder malfunctioned. After being banished from Phantos by Queen Elmora for the photanium thefts where he used some of them to build a new face and right arm, he sided with Skeletor.

Draego-Man

A fire-breathing dragon man with flame weapons, Draego-Man is one of Skeletor's newest Evil Warriors. After being shunned by Granamyr, Draego-Man sided with the people of Eternia. After the Truce of the Three Towers, Draego-Man became so disgusted with the humans that he chose to isolate himself within the Caverns of Rakash. Many millenniums later, Draego-Man came out of hiding where he sided with Skeletor in his plot to enslave the dragons and use them in the Evil Warriors' attack on the Royal Palace of Eternia.

Exclusive to the MOTU Classics toyline, he is also the only entirely new character that the Four Horsemen have created for Masters of the Universe.[45]

Goat Man

Originated in the Golden books as an ally of Beast Man. According to his 2014 Classics action figure packaging, Goat Man is a member of the G’hoat Men from the Northern Mountains, where his kind are one of the only intelligent upright races that is susceptible to the hypnotic powers of Beast Man. And like most of his species, Klacky was captured by the rulers of the Vine Jungle and simply called "Goat Man" by his beastly masters. Eventually, he found himself in the service of Beast Man and was forced to serve in the Second Ultimate Battle. Here, he was severely wounded by Buzz-Off and left at the foot of Central Tower. Crawling inside, Goat Man fell into a time portal and was transported to the future arriving on Eternia when King He-Man ruled the land and his son Dare wielded the Power Sword. Forced to serve an aging Beast Man in this new time, Goat Man is forever following whatever evil orders he is given.

Anti-Eternia He-Man

Exclusive to the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, the Anti-Eternia He-Man is a He-Man from an alternate Eternia called Anti-Eternia where he is a villain. Using the World Converter, Skeletor summoned Anti-Eternia He-Man to Eternia.

Hover Robots

Also known as Robot Knights, Skeletor used dozens of these floating mechanical minions to bolster his Evil Warriors. Their claw-like hands could spin like saw blades, but they were no match for the might of He-Man. Created for the Filmation cartoon, a set of three Hover Robots action figures will be released in 2015.

Movie exclusive villains

Created for the 1987 live-action film, none of these characters had toys made of them.

The Evil Horde

The Evil Horde are the primary antagonists of the She-Ra television series.[46] However, most of the male characters appeared in the Masters of the Universe toy line and its accompanying media, including the Marvel comics, UK comics and mini-comics from 1985 onwards.

Hordak

Hordak is a ruthless villain who, in the 2002 series, wished to rule over all of Eternia. After he and his minions defeated the Snake Men, Hordak turned his attention to Castle Grayskull and launched an attack against it. He was defeated by King Grayskull, who banished Hordak and his forces to the Abyss and entrapped them in a dimension within. Somehow, ages later, Hordak became Skeletor's master, despite the dimensional differences. Hordak saves Keldor's life after he is mortally injured battling Randor; in saving his life, Hordak transformed Keldor into Skeletor and told him there would one day be a price to pay for Hordak's assistance. Later in the series, Evil-Lyn and Count Marzo attempt to release Hordak from his dimensional prison.

In the 1980s, however, Hordak is the overlord of the planet Etheria, and he answers to Horde Prime. His minions are called the Evil Horde, and they do battle against the freedom fighters of Etheria, led by Princess Adora aka She-Ra. In the 1980s cartoon series, Hordak is a cyborg who can alter his shape, most often into that of a rocket to make a quick get-away. In the Masters of the Universe comics Hordak also tries to conquer Eternia, making him a frequent adversary of both He-Man and Skeletor.

His face is a pale flesh color on the figure but pure white in the cartoon. Initially the figure did not have the left cannon arm like he did in the cartoon. The figure just had two normal arms. However, later variants of Hordak gave him a variety of cyborg-like mechanical gimmicks, reminiscent of the shapechanging powers he displayed in the 1980s cartoon.

Hordak is voiced by George DiCenzo in the 1980s series and by Colin Murdock in the 2002 series.

Dragstor

Dragstor is a cyborg who is part man, part vehicle.[47] He has a tyred wheel built into his chest which he uses to cruise along the ground at super-speed. He never appeared in the He-Man or She-Ra cartoons because he was one of the penultimate toys to be released, by which time the cartoons had ended. Dragstor was voted No.6 in The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features by Topless Robot.[48]

Horde Troopers

Horde Troopers or Hordesmen are robotic soldiers that serve the Horde Empire, and form the bulk of the Evil Horde's vast army. They wear grey armor emblazoned with the Horde sigil. Debuting in the She-Ra cartoon series, they also appeared alongside Hordak in various MOTU comics. A Horde Trooper action figure was released in 1986 for the vintage Masters of the Universe toy line. An updated pair of Horde Troopers were released in 2014 for Classics.

Grizzlor

A member of the Evil Horde, Grizzlor is a hairy man-beast creature from the wild. He has thick, brown fur and sharp claws, and he attacks his opponents with the power of brute strength. Most story media have portrayed him as either a mindless brute or as comically unintelligent. He looks more intimidating in the cartoon than the figure.

Grizzlor is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series.

Leech

A member of the Evil Horde, Leech is an amphibian-like creature of a large and bulky build with green skin and suction pads on his hands, feet and mouth. It is these suction pads that provide him with his main power: to suck and drain the life-force from his opponent, rendering them helpless against him. In the cartoon, he did not have the "extra mouth" that the figure had.

Leech is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series.

Mantenna

Mantenna is a member of the Evil Horde.[49] He is a creature with four legs and pop-out antenna eyes. He can fire energy beams of different varieties from his eyes, such as stun beams, gravity distortion beams, and freeze rays. Mantenna is a nervous stuttering imbecile mainly used for comic relief, with a running gag that Hordak frequently sends him down a trap door in front of his throne for any number of reasons. Although, once or twice Mantenna actually turns the tables on Hordak and sends him plummeting down his own trap. The figure's eyes are blue but yellow in the cartoon. In the 2002 series, he is redrawn, like Hordak, to be much more menacing. Mantenna attempts to blast King Grayskull with his energy beams but ends up being choked to unconsciousness by the king. Mantenna does not speak in the 2002 series.

Mantenna is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series.

Modulok

Modulok is a multi-bodied monster who can reform himself into thousands of different shapes to confuse his enemies.[9] He is a member of the Evil Horde, though in some cartoon appearances is seen to work for himself. According to the He-Man comics, Modulok was originally a petty thief called Galen Nycoff who was mutated into Modulok while attempting to escape from the Space Prison. He is also known for creating Multi-Bot. He is one of the few Horde figures to not wear a Horde bat emblem. This may be attributed to his origin as one of Skeletor's minions, who, despondent with Skeletor's rule, fled to Etheria and offered his services to Hordak.

Modulok is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series.

Multi-Bot

A member of the Evil Horde, Multi-Bot is a robot composed of multiple body parts which he can reform at will into thousands of different shapes. He is a robotic creation and counterpart of the character Modulok whose action figure also consisted of numerous different body parts which could be locked together in many different ways. He was marketed as the "evil robot of a thousand bodies". He is designed to allow his body parts to be combined with those of Modulok, with their merged form known as Mega-Beast. Multi-Bot appears in the "She-Ra" cartoon only, because the "He-Man" cartoon finished its production run in 1985, a year before the toy was released.

Mosquitor

Mosquitor is a mosquito-themed villain who was introduced into the MotU toy line in 1987. He was one of the final figures to be released before the toy line's demise, and as a result is one of the rarest, meaning he never had any cartoon appearances. The action figure's special feature is a switch on its back, which when pressed caused his chest to flow with blood.

Catra

Catra (voiced by Melendy Britt) is the Force Captain of the Evil Horde. She wears a magical mask which allows her to transform into a ferocious panther. Originally appearing in the She-Ra cartoon series and the accompanying Princess of Power toy line, a Masters of the Universe Classics action figure of Catra was released in 2011.

Shadow Weaver

The Evil Horde's mistress of dark magic, Shadow Weaver (voiced by Linda Gary) first appeared in the She-Ra cartoon series. She is an extremely powerful sorceress, and a rival to Castaspella. The first ever action figure of Shadow Weaver was released in 2012 for the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line.

Cy-Chop

Newly created for the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Cy-Chop is a robot with scissor-like hands. In his earlier years, Scychor roamed the galaxy as a mercenary and professional thief with his partner Kronis until he was betrayed by him and thrown from the vehicle. The rogue robots saved him by preserving his organs in the robot body's chest and his brain in a robotic skull. As Cy-Chop, he was recruited by Hordak to fight against the Masters of the Universe and the Snake Men.

Horde Prime

Horde Prime (voiced by Lou Scheimer) is the supreme ruler of the intergalactic Horde Empire. An action figure of him was released in the Classics toyline.

Octavia

An octopus-woman who commands the naval branch of the Horde armada, Octavia (voiced by Melendy Britt) was created for the She-Ra cartoon. A MOTU Classics figure of her was released in 2012.

Scorpia

A female Horde enforcer with a stinging scorpion tail and sharp pincers, Scorpia appeared in the She-Ra cartoon (voiced by Linda Gary). The first ever figure of Scorpia was released in 2014.

Imp

Imp (voiced by Erika Scheimer) is a small, shapeshifting Horde spy. He is despised by the other Horde members, apart from Hordak, who enjoys his company. Was released as an accessory with a cartoon-inspired action figure of Hordak in 2014.

Entrapta

A Horde scientist who specialises in devising traps, the beautiful Entrapta (voiced by Linda Gary) has long prehensile hair that can ensnare her enemies. She received a new action figure in 2014.

Calix

An Evil Horde rock man, Calix appeared briefly in the 2002 He-Man cartoon series.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line in 2015, Callix.

The Snake Men

The Snake Men are another evil faction, who sought to conquer Eternia in its ancient past, and after centuries of imprisonment are brought to the present with a vengeance.[50]

The Masters of the Universe Classics toyline states that the Snake Men were created from the DNA splicing of three cold-blooded alien races and were bred by the Unnamed One.

King Hiss

Ruler of the Snake Men, King Hiss can shed his human-like "skin" to become a twisting mass of five snakes from the waist up.[51] In the 2002 series, The Sorceress describes King Hiss as wielding magic as great of that of the Elders. King Hiss was defeated by Hordak and his minions in the times of King Grayskull. Ages later, King Hiss and his henchmen were sealed away beneath Snake Mountain (which King Hiss built) by Zodak, to be released during the reign of King Randor by Kobra Khan, General Rattlor, and Evil-Lyn. In the unproduced Episode 40 of the 2002 series, his name is spelled "King Hsss." The new 2002 version is his belated cartoon appearance as he never appeared in the original 1980s cartoon as it ceased production by the time Mattel released his figure.

King Hiss appeared in the game He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe.[52]

King Hiss is voiced by Brian Dobson in the 2002 series.

NOTE: King Hiss was voted No.11 in The 14 Least Masterful Masters of the Universe by Io9.[4] Comic Book Resources listed the character as part of He-Man: 15 Most Powerful Masters of the Universe.[23]

Rattlor

One of King Hiss' generals, Rattlor is a rattlesnake-type Snake Man who possesses an extending neck and rattling tail. He appears in the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series as a member of the Evil Horde, as the He-Man cartoon series ended when his figure was made. In the 2002 animated series, Rattlor is presented as the General of the Snake Men army trying to release their leader, King Hiss. He was released by Kobra Khan but later recaptured and held in the Eternian prison. Gen. Rattlor nursed a grudge against Kobra Khan for being left to this fate, escaping only by outwitting Roboto. He retains a primordial fear of mongooses.

Rattlor is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Richard Newman in the 2002 series.

Kobra Khan

Kobra Khan is a cobra-type Snake Man whose character pre-dates the introduction of the Snake Men. He appears as one of Skeletor's Evil Warriors in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series, in which he sprays a sleeping gas, and on one occasion, is shown to have stretchable arms similar to the Sssqueeze character. In the series, the gas came from vents in his hood, which he kept down any time he was not using this ability. The action figure and minicomics portrayed the character spraying this gas from his mouth. The toy had a mechanism that converted water to vapor similar to many kinds of spray bottles.

In the 2002 animated series, he instead sprays acid. The cunning and silver-tongued Kobra Khan is fanatically devoted to King Hiss at the expense of loyalty to his erstwhile allies, earning him resentment. He freed General Rattlor in his first attempt to release his monarch. The other Snake Men would often try to get Kobra Khan to prove himself to be a true Snake-Man by eating a human.

In the Mattel mini-comics and UK comics, Kobra Khan shares a dual-allegiance to Skeletor and King Hiss.

Kobra Khan is voiced by Lou Scheimer in the 1980s series and by Scott McNeil in the 2002 series.

Kobra Khan was voted No.5 in The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features by Topless Robot.[48] Comic Book Resources listed the character as He-Man: Eternia’s 15 Mightiest Villains.[53]

Tung Lashor

Tung Lashor is a Snake Man who possesses a super long extending tongue. He appears in the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series as a member of the Evil Horde.In the episode Gateway to Trouble, he works with Skeletor and Modulok to make the gate maker. The original He-Man cartoon had ceased production when his figure was released.

In the 2002 animated series, Tung Lashor is a member of the Snake Men. A recurring gag in the 2002 series is that Tung Lashor's tongue would occasionally get cut off and grow back by the next appearance.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Tung Lashor is depicted to having venom on this tongue.

Tung Lashor is voiced by George DiCenzo in the 1980s series and by Michael Donovan in the 2002 series.

Sssqueeze

Sssqueeze is an anaconda-type Snake Man who possesses long snake-like arms.

He only appears in the 2002 version of the cartoon because the original 1980s cartoon ended when his figure was released. In the 2002 series, the palms of his hands became snake-like heads when Sssqueeze's arms are extended. Is sometimes called Tanglor in certain media, which was his original prototype name.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Sssqueeze serves as one of King Hiss' chief lieutenants.

Sssqueeze is voiced by Brian Dobson in the 2002 series.

NOTE: Sssqueeze was No.9 in 10 Weird Masters Of The Universe Action Figures From The 1980s.[54]

A new action figure of Sssqueeze will be released in 2015 for the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line.

Snake Face

Snake Face is a gorgon-type Snake Man. Snakes extend from his face, chest and shoulders to "petrify" opponents (just like Medusa of Greek mythology).

He only appears in the 1980s comics and 2002 animated series because the original animated series had ended by the time his figure was released. During the return of the Snake Men, Snake Face was beaten by He-Man who used his shield as a mirror and turned Snake Face's power back on him, turning him to stone.[55] The petrified Snake Face is seen later in the Eternian prison. In the episode 40 comic "Captured," it is shown that Snake Men can recover from even mortal injuries when they are in total darkness, as both the stone Snake Face and the decapitated King Hiss were taken to Snake Mountain where Skeletor's minion Beast Man inadvertently allowed King Hiss to heal himself. This implies that Snake Face too would eventually have been restored to normal.

In the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, Snake Face gained his petrifying abilities from the Great Black Wizard with his abilities impressing King Hiss enough to recruit him into his army as part of the Snake Men's inner circle.

Snake Face was voiced by Paul Dobson in the 2002 version.

Megator

Megator was a giant green ogre from Preternia. The original toy was one of the few releases in The Powers of Grayskull spin-off line. It was only sold in Italy. His modern Classics action figure packaging states that he originally served Hordak during Preternian times and was resurrected by King Hiss after his death to serve the Snake Men in the modern day.[56]

Snake Men Soldiers

In addition to his key lieutenants, King Hiss also has a huge army of slithering minions willing to do his bidding. The 2002 series featured the full force of the Snake Men, and two action figures based on these generic warriors (one yellow, one orange) were released in 2012 for Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

She-Ra: Princess of Power

The New Adventures of He-Man characters (1989–1992, 2010–2015)

Galactic Guardians

Hydron

Hydron is an undersea commander and the captain of Starship Eternia. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Hydron was released in 2014.

Flipshot

Flipshot is a space pilot from the cloud city of Levitan. He is also known as Icarius in the toyline. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Icarius was released in 2011.

Mara of Primus

Mara is an assistant of Master Sebrian, ambassador of the planet Primus, and eventually becomes the leader of the Galactimytes. She has her hair in a long braid, with a spiked metal ball at the end which she uses as a weapon. A prototype action figure was created but not put into production. In 2015, a new figure of Mara will finally be released as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.

Space Mutants

Flogg

Flogg is the leader of the Evil Mutants of Denebria. Flogg is a military commander of the Mutant Armada which he commands from the Mutant Mothership. Skeletor forges an alliance with Flogg where Skeletor will help him take over Primus in exchange for Flogg helping to destroy He-Man. By the end of the series, Flogg surrenders and ends up signing a peace treaty between Primus and Denebria. He is also called Brakk in the toyline's European release. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Flogg was released in 2014.

Slush Head

Slush Head is an incompetent amphibious mutant with cybernetic tentacles. He serves as Flogg's second-in-command and the co-pilot of the Mutant Mothership. Slush Head comes from the Quagmi Swamp, a place on Denebria that most other Mutants find disgusting because of its deadly creatures and foul stench. In the toyline he is also called Kalamarr. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Slush Head was released in 2012.

Optikk

Optikk is a cyborg with a single giant eyeball for a head. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Optikk was released in 2010.

Karatti

Karatti is a green skinned mutant with deadly martial arts skills who is often paired with Hoove. A Masters of the Universe Classics figure of Karatti was released in 2013.

Other villains associated with MOTU

Skeletor, Hordak, and King Hiss are not the only threats to Eternia. There are many independent and freelance villains who have made their own attempts at threatening the peace on Eternia.

Count Marzo

Count Marzo (voiced by John Erwin in the 1980s series, Michael Donovan in the 2002 series) is a powerful sorcerer who has lived for thousands of years with no greater desire than to become King of Eternia. He concocts his evil schemes more subtly than most villains and often entices children, and at times, naive Masters of the Universe like Mekaneck, into aiding his plots. He was never made as a figure in the 1980s. In the 2002 series, Count Marzo is a barbaric wizard with an Eastern European accent. His powers come from a magenta crystal; deprived of his powers, he becomes a hunched and wizened peasant. Several times in the 2002 series, Marzo's amulet is taken away from him, only to be returned later. Marzo aids Evil-Lyn with her plan to restore Hordak in exchange for his amulet, which Evil-Lyn possesses. A toy was released in 2010 based on his newer design.[57] Comic Book Resources listed the character as He-Man: Eternia’s 15 Mightiest Villains.[53]

Evilseed

An evil plant man who can control vicious plants. In the 1980s series, He-Man and Skeletor team up to stop him. In the 2002 series, he is an evil rival to Moss Man. An action figure based on the 2002 version of Evilseed will be released in 2015.

Prahvus

Prahvus was an evil grey-skinned warlord with horns and blue tattoo-like markings. He only appeared in the 2002 series, attempting to conquer Eternia during a time known as the Great Unrest. He had many weapons and an entire army of his own. He was defeated by the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, sometime before she gave birth to Teela. The creators of the cartoon confirmed that had there been a third season, Prahvus would have returned as a member of The Evil Horde. He will have an action figure released in late 2015.

Shokoti

Shokoti is an extremely powerful undead sorceress who resides in the Sands of Time. She only appears once in the entire Masters of the Universe cartoon series, but is noteworthy due to the fact that she nearly defeats He-Man. She has a rather demonic appearance, with a horned headdress, jet-black hair, pale bluish skin and black, lifeless eyes. Her sole episode, "The House of Shokoti, part 2", is considered one of the darkest episodes in the series. In 2013 a figure of Shokoti along with one of her Darklings were made into toy form in the Masters of the Universe Classics line.

Nepthu

The evil sorcerer Nepthu originally appeared in the Filmation episode "Temple of The Sun". He was released in action figure form in 2013.

Geldor

Geldor is a barbarian who appeared in the minicomic "The Secret Liquid of Life". A fan favourite, he was voted into the Classics toyline as the 2013 Fan's Choice action figure.

Plundor

An evil rabbit-man motivated purely by greed, Plundor (voiced by John Erwin) first appeared in the Filmation cartoon. He conquered the planet Trannis with his army of robots, turning its lush environment into a wasteland, all because he wanted to plunder its natural resources for profit. A Plundor action figure was released in 2013.

Cartoon exclusive villains

References

  1. ↑ "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season One, Volume One". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  2. ↑ "Stratos – Winged Warrior (1982) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  3. ↑ "Comic Book Legends Revealed #234". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "The 14 Least Masterful Masters of the Universe". io9. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  5. ↑ "Man of a Thousand (or Three) Faces: MOTUC Man-E-Faces Review". MTV. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  6. ↑ "Man-E-Faces – Heroic human…robot…monster! (1983) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  7. 1 2 Owen, Rob (2002-08-16). "On the Tube: Cartoon Network brings He-Man, the Masters back for 20th anniversary". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  8. ↑ "Review: Ram Man Muscles His Way Into 'Masters Of The Universe Classics'". MTV. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "8 Crazy Masters of the Universe Figures". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Ram Man collector Jamie Moakes hopes for gold prices". BBC News. 2011-12-16.
  11. 1 2 3 "The 10 Most Unfortunate Masters Of The Universe Toys". Io9. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  12. 1 2 "The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features". Topless Robot. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "He-Man: The 15 Worst Toys Ever". 3 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 Hart, Hugh (2002-08-11). "Who da man? 'He-Man'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2010-04-24. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  15. ↑ "15 Awesome Actors For The He-Man Movie". Total Film. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  16. ↑ "15 Awesome Actors For The He-Man Movie". Total Film. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  17. ↑ "Toy Maniac: MOTUC Fisto Toy Review". Mania.com. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  18. ↑ "Serving Up Knuckle Sandwiches: MOTUC Fisto Action Figure Review". MTV. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  19. ↑ "MTV Geek Masters of the Universe Classics Sy-Klone Review". MTV. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  20. 1 2 "Review: Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto?". MTV. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  21. ↑ "The 36 Worst Action Figures From Iconic Toy Lines". Cracked.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Battle of the Fun Factories". Time. 1985-12-16. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  23. 1 2 3 "He-Man: 15 Most Powerful Masters of the Universe". Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "17 Amazing Facts About He-Man (Powered by Grayskull)". Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "He-Man.org > Cartoons and Features > He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - 1983-85 > Documents Library > He-Ro, Son Of He-Man Bible". Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "Jay Scheimer -IMDB". Voice Actor.
  27. ↑ "DC’s New ‘He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe’ Comics Are Secretly Awesome". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  28. ↑ "MTV Geek – Review: SDCC Exclusive MOTUC Queen Marlena w/ Cringer". MTV Geek. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  29. ↑ "The 6 Best (and 6 Worst) Filmation-Only He-Man Characters". Topless Robot. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  30. ↑ "matty - Classics - Granamyr". Collecting.mattycollector.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  31. ↑ Hart, Hugh (2002-08-11). "Who da man? 'He-Man'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  32. ↑ "Panthor – Savage Cat (1983) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  33. ↑ "Mer-Man – Ocean Warlord! (1982) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  34. ↑ "15 Awesome Actors For The He-Man Movie". Total Film. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
  35. ↑ "Tri-Klops – Evil and sees everything (1983) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  36. ↑ "15 Awesome Actors For The He-Man Movie". Total Film. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  37. ↑ "MOTU Classic: Trap Jaw Review". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  38. ↑ "Faker – Evil Robot of Skeletor (1983) | Battle Ram". Battleram.wordpress.com. 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  39. ↑ "The 14 Least Masterful Masters of the Universe". Topless Robot. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  40. ↑ "MTV Geek – SDCC 2013: Mattypalooza He-Man ‘Masters of the Universe Classics’ Reveals". MTV Geek. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  41. ↑ Jeff Rovin (1987), The encyclopedia of super villains, p. 320 ISBN 0-8160-1356-X
  42. ↑ Rob Bricken. "12 Insane Facts About He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe". io9. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  43. ↑ "Why This Vintage He-Man Action Figure Still Smells Bad 30 Years Later". Co.Design. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  44. ↑ "The 36 Worst Action Figures From Iconic Toy Lines". Cracked. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  45. ↑ "MTV Geek – Review: Draego-Man Enters the Masters of the Universe Classics Line". MTV Geek. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  46. ↑ "She-Ra’s Second Due in Sept.". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  47. ↑ "8 Pricey And Rare He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe Toys". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  48. 1 2 "The 12 Coolest Masters of the Universe Action Features". Topless Robot. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  49. ↑ "Mantenna: Masters of the Universe". Mania.com. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  50. ↑ "Masters of the Universe Season Two Slithers To A Successful, If Premature, Ending". Toon Zone. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  51. ↑ "MTV Geek – Masters Of The Universe Classics King Hssss Issss Sssso Awssssome!". MTV Geek. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  52. ↑ Buffa, Chris. "He-Man Update Adds Battle Armor, King Hsss". Modojo.com. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  53. 1 2 "He-Man: Eternia's 15 Mightiest Villains". Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  54. ↑ "10 Weird Masters Of The Universe Action Figures From The 1980s". Whatculture.com. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  55. ↑ Medusa. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  56. ↑ "Review: Masters Of The Universe Classics Megator". MTV. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  57. ↑ "NYTF: Mattel's DCU and He-Man Lines". Comicbookresources.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
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